Warm Season Plantings

Warm weather is definitely here and it's time to plant our warm season crops. I know a lot of you are ahead of me in the game but I tend to be a bit more careful. If you lose 10 tomato plants, that's bad. if I lose 400 tomato plants, that's really bad. But the 10 day weather forecast looks good so let's get planting. Over the past weekend I planted potatoes, beans and lettuce. Then yesterday, with the temperatures in the mid 80's, I planted cucumbers and squash. Truth be told I also planted tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. this is about 10 days earlier than normal for me and I'll be ready to cover theses transplants if the temperatures tumble.
  Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants (nightshades) need to be planted 18" apart. Plant to stake the tomatoes, they will get taller and heavier than those flimsy cages can support. But those cages are good for the peppers and eggplants whose stems are brittle and will need support as the produce especially later in the year. Once the plants are growing, we will eventually spread several layers of newsprint around the base of our nightshades. Then we will cover the newsprint with wheat straw. The paper and straw will help with soil moisture, weed control, and prevent soil pathogens from splashing onto the lower leaves of the tomatoes. I'll have straw at the garden next week for everyone to use.
  A sure sign of spring is the fresh asparagus we're enjoying with dinner almost nightly!!